The Infants Advocate Against the Cruel Doctrine of the Presbyterians, Part 4
Diviſion 4. Concerning Original Sin.
It would even grieve a Sober Chriſtian, to read the ſtrange Immaginations which Men have Publiſhed about Original Sin; and the Extreams they have run into on the Right Hand, and on the Left, cenſuring one another very ſeverely for their differing apprehenſions in this Matter. And it is remarkable, how cruelly Cenſarious Mr. Firmin is againſt my ſelf in particular, repreſenting me as a Maſter among the worſt ſort of Anabaptiſts, who, he ſays, denies Original Sin.
Concerning which, he tells you, we are Rotten. That the foundation of Anabaptiſm lies in denying Original Sin. That in this we are given up to more blindneſs than the Heathens, &c. To all which I Anſwer:
1. If I be one of the worſt of my Brethren in this Point, I hope the reſt will be better thought of by Men of Moderation for my ſake, when they have had (what violent Mr. Firmin hath not) patience to conſider what I have publiſhed upon the account of Original Sin, (and that long before I heard there was ſuch a Man in the World as Mr. Firmin) in my Chriſtianiſmus Primitivus, Book 2. Pag. 77, 78. thus you read me.
2. For the better attaining to a powerful conviction of Sin, and a ſence of Man's wretchedneſs by reaſon of Sin, it is neceſſary to underſtate the general ſtate of Tranſgreſſion, into which Mankind is involved; concerning which we find the Scripture gives this Teſtimony, That all have ſinned, and come ſhort of the Glory of God, Rom. 3. 23. And that by one Man Sin entred into the World,—for that all have ſinned. And that the whole World lieth in wickedneſs; which is alſo evident by common Experience, every Nation being greatly corrupted through the abounding of Iniquity; and the univerſality of the ways of Sin does evince the ſame—that the Apoſtle might well ſay, Both Jew and Gentile are all under Sin.
3. The Sin of Mankind is either Original, or Actual. The firſt is come upon all, even the very Infant-ſtate of Mankind lie under it, of whom that ſaying is true, They have not ſinned after the ſimilitude of Adam's Tranſgreſſion; yet, Death reigning over them, proves the Tranſgreſſion of Adam to be upon them. This is that Root-Sin, called the Sin of the World, John 1. 29. whereof none are free. Nor is it convenient to extenuate or leſſen this Sin, either in its nature, or the puniſhment it brings with it; it being indeed the Filum certiſſimum, or Leading-Thred to all other Iniquities, Mankind being hereby corrupt Ab Origine, and wholly deprived of the Glory of God, without the intervening Mercy of a Saviour.
And hence we find David, when complaining of his ſinful ſtate, looks back to his corrupt Original, amongſt the reſt of his Iniquities, complaining, Pſal. 51. 5. Behold, I was ſhapen in Iniquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me. Knowing as Job ſaith, None can bring a clean thing out of an unclean one. So that they are not to be deſpiſed, who ſay, that in our Humiliation for Sin, we ought to bewail this our Sinful Original, which had been to Adam's Poſterity like the Sin of Traytors, which bringeth with it corruption of Blood to their Off-ſpring, for which they muſt bear the ſhame of ſuch Tranſgreſſions. How do we find that the Sin of Progenitors was wont to be lamented by their Off-ſpring among the Iſraelites? And is there not the ſame reaſon Adam's Children ſhould do the like, as being ſenſible of the evil Conſequences thereof? We alſo may ſay, Our Father hath ſinned, and we have born his Iniquity.
4. And hence I like the ſaying of Irenaeus well, which I will give in Engliſh, becauſe Mr. F. is pleaſed to lock it up in Latine. Omnes enim venit, &c. Chriſt came to ſave all by himſelf, all I ſay, who are born again in God; Infants, Little ones, Boys, and Young Men, and Old Men: But as for his, Ideo per omnem venit aetatem, I let that alone, for I do not find that Chriſt paſſed through the age of Old Men; yet I ſay, he came to Sanctifie every Age, and therefore every Age who do not profane the Blood of Chriſt by which they were Sanctified (as I am ſure no Infant doth) they ſhall certainly be Saved by him, and hence the Salvation of all dying Infants, is apparent enough. But how Infants are born again in God, is a ſecret, and not to be Demonſtrated by Mr. Firmin, nor any other. Surely had I written as Irenaeus doth, he would have ſaid I exclude the Operation of the Holy Ghoſt; for Irenaeus ſays, he came to ſave all by himſelf, yet as 'tis certain that the Holy Spirit is not wanting to the Aged Sinner, there is no ground to doubt of his care of poor Infants.